Message from SA

We had our National Championship Show this last weekend and a was the National Champ in my grade on Cherry Hall, he is the one with the white face. On the other two boys i got first's in all my events. Unfortunately the weather here is unbareablely hot so we are limited to two day show's. Poor Hawaiian has tendon problems from polo so he only managed jumping the first day, I am thinking about retiring him from the jumping side of life, unfortunately we do not have the technology/machinery here to treat his problem as required so we are stuck with traditional methods, but so long as he is fat and happy I am too.

Well all 3 are all rounders, I use them for hacking and I do dressage, jumping, endurance and cross country.
My oldest Hawaiian is now about 17 he is 16 hands, I bought him as an ex polo pony and he was brought up to Zambia from Zimbabwe where he was bred and he was a race horse who won (according to his passport) several races. His father was Hawaiian Love and his mother was a mare called Espirit de suit. He has been barefoot for four years now, I took off the shoes the min he was mine.
My pony the chestnut, Rafiki (this means "my friend" in Swahili, an African language) he is 14 years old and 14.2 hands, we bred him in Zimbabwe with our own thoroughbred cross welsh mare and a friends pure breed Arab stallion he is an absolute spoiled brat but he is family and we love him. He has NEVER had shoes.
Cherry Hall is my most recent, I bought him straight off the polo field, I took an immediate liking to him and had to have him, he was also bred in Zimbabwe and also won a few races. His father is quite famous for producing show jumpers his name is Hall Gate and his mother was a mare called Cherry Time, he is very sweet but also VERY dumb (eg: he walked into the center part of our horse box today when I was loading him) He has had no shoes since I got him 3 years ago.
All 3 are fed on a pellet produced by a local company which I mix with maize bran, they get fed three times a day and are spoiled with rejects from the near by farmers and have hey ad lib.
Would love the hoofpick but is my location not a problem? lol!
Is great to have some one to bragg about my babies to.
I almost forgot, several of our Zambian riders are off to the Congo to represent Zambia in show jumping this weekend.
If my boy's do make the blog I would love to be sent the link.
Kind regards,
Valerie.

Kestrels Story from Ireland

Kestrel is a 9 year old pure bred Connemara bought as a 4 year old having only ever competed in dressage competitions. He didn't know how to gallop, was extremely spooky (still is!), had never hacked on the roads, hunted, been to the beach - boy was he going to be challenge!


I didn't know then just how much of a challenge he would be when he went lame after completing a second 40 mile ride (to attain Silver Shamrock with the Irish Long Distance Riding Associtation at the age of 7). He was laid off work for 6 months (without shoes), had two sets of x-rays taken which showed up absolutely nothing and generally improved once the shoes were off.

This led me to barefoot websites and some research and my first boots were secondhand Old Macs Originals from ebay. When his feet grew and changed shape I bought a new pair of Old Macs G2s from a supplier in England (we're a bit backward here in Ireland and I have only today for the first time seen an advert for hoof boot fitting - in the south of Ireland - about 150 miles from where I live). These worked well and I now have a barefoot trimmer who comes on a regular basis to trim Kes's feet.

We've progressed to Easyboot Epics which I put onto Kes for a ride on Sunday past which gave them a really good try out as we took part in a pleasure ride around Clandeboye Estate in Bangor, County Down where we were knee deep in sticky mud. I was amazed my boots stayed on despite having looked up the Easyboot site on numerous occasions and read everyone else's reports. Our other horses are also barefoot including a 14 year old TB mare who hacks regularly and we use the Old Macs on her (the boots fit both horses which is very handy) and will never have shoes on them. Their feet are all amazing -despite the fact that as we live in Ireland and the ground is frequently very wet.

It's not called the Emerald Isle for nothing you know! I would recommend barefoot and Easyboots to anyone - just send them my email address and I'll convince them!

Name: Valerie McKie
City: Belfast
Country: Northern Ireland
Favorite Boot: Easyboot Epic

The Prescription for Hoof Ailments

The Easyboot Rx is just the prescription for horses requiring a therapy boot that offers stability and support without being heavy or clunky.

Relief for Your Horse
Veterinarians, hoof care professionals and horse owners alike rely on the Easyboot Rx to help horses healThe Prescription for Hoof Ailments
and recover quickly from many horse hoof problems. It provides support and relief for horses suffering from chronic lameness, laminitis, founder, navicular and other lower limb/hoof problems.

The Rx is an excellent choice for those horses that simply have difficulty standing on hard surfaces for extended periods of time. The boot can be used to speed recovery and offer protection after surgery or injury, lessen fatigue and add protection during trailering as well as offer a safeguard in the breeding shed.


Easy Application Application is quick and easy. The unique upper of the Easyboot Rx folds down and opens large enough to accommodate the wide base of a hoof, allowing for quick application without strength or force. After the hoof is placed in the Easyboot Rx, two hook and loop tabs are fastened to provide a secure fit. A quick pull on the hook and loop tabs and the Easyboot Rx is easily slipped off the hoof. Each boot has a double hook and loop lock system that prevents the boot from opening unintentionally.

The Easyboot Rx is not intended for riding but can be used for light turn out.

Easyboots to the Rescue!

My 5 year old Arab/QH had to have a section of his P3 removed this summer becasue of an infection. The vet mentioned putting on a hospital plate but the foot looked so sore I couldn't bear the thought and he had never worn a shoe.


The hole in his hoof that several different EasyCare boots have been protecting. This was 3 weeks & 5 days postop.
I put an Easy Care Epic over the bandage every day after I changed it which kept the foot clean and dry and allowed him to walk around in the indoor and soon after out in a paddock. After about 10 days we changed to the orginal Old Mac and the heal started to look better. I wanted to start riding him walk trot and the Old Mac was a little lose so I switched to an Old Mac G2 which was a great fit over the bandage.

The other day his bandage was due for a change and had started to unrvavel so I took it off and used just an Easyboot Glove. Was he ever happy: felt like freedom to him. He will have follow up x-rays soon but the pictures I emailed the vet looked good to him. All the different boots have allowed me to protect his hoof and give him the freedom to move. The next boot to try will be the Rx when it comes this week.

Thanks EasyCare: I don't know how I would have dealt with this hoof and a young horse without all your different kinds of boots.

Name: Mary Palumbo
City: Killingworth, CT
Equine Discipline: Endurance
Favorite Boot: Old Mac's

Goober Glue with Gloves

Easycare have been testing a new combination that's working so well we think you should try it.

They had the good fortune to work with serveral riders at the Man Against Horse 50 last weekend. It was the perfect trail to test our new booting protocol of Easyboot Gloves in combination with Goober Hoof Pack (known as hoof boot glue in the UK). By adding glue to the sole of the foot, the horse benefits from additional solar protection for rocky or challenging trail. The boot also sticks to the foot with the help of the glue. They have tried this method with three different horses on three different (and very rocky) 50-mile races. They have yet to lose a boot.
 
Here is a photo of the Glove glued on: no muss, no fuss.
  The boots are easy to remove and the best thing is that the Hoof boot glue peels right out of the boot by hand so the boots can be used again and again. The video here explains the application process. Note: if you want to use this method, the boots should be applied 12-24 hours before the horse is to be ridden in order to allow the glue to set up. 24 hours is optimal.

Here's what Julia Lynn Elias had to say:

"I've had several successful rides now with the Easyboot Glue-Ons, both at multi-day rides and 100 milers, but decided for our local Man Against Horse 1 day 50 mile ride I would like to stick with the Gloves. I love the Glue Ons, but hate the fact that once removed they are difficult, if not impossible, to re-use. I have done several 50's in Gloves and have not had a problem with losing boots except on very steep climbs with slippery, rolling rocks. This particular ride has several such sections. On one part of the trail, there is a 2,000 foot climb in two miles, and most of the real climbing occurs in short switch backs with large step-up rocks. To minimize my risk of losing boots, I decided to try using Goober Hoof Pack (formerly known as Goober Glue) in the soles of the boots only. Kevin Myers and I discussed it and both agreed that this would serve three purposes, improve the adhesion of the boot to the hoof, provide more cushion for the impact of all the rocks we would encounter, and allow me to re-use the boots. The plan worked fabulously. I never lost a boot and my horse flew over the rocks like they were marshmallows. In fact, they were so well "stuck", that it required a little effort with a flathead screwdriver to peel them off after the ride. This morning, I was able to peel the Hoof Pack out of the boots and now they are clean and ready for another ride. I was so pleased with this method that I think I will do it for every ride."

Mackies Ice Cream Run endurance ride

My name is Jahmel and I am a fleabitten grey arab gelding living in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  My mum thinks the world of me and loves taking me to interesting places.

Today mum got me out of bed early and seemed a bit cross because I had rolled a bitty in the night.  I didn’t think I was that dirty!  Anyway off we went to the place where they make lovely icecream – the Mackies Factory at Cross of Jackston.  It seems that the field we were supposed to park in was under water so we were invited to park at the factory as long as we took all poo away! Mum decided as the ground was so wet that I should wear my easyboot epics with the studs in.   A good decision as it turned out as most of the 24km ride was on wet fields and tracks. Mum didn’t tell me about the nasty wind turbines on the hill though. And as it was a very windy day they were going round very fast and making a horrid noise as well as making scary shadows on the ground!  Just as well I had my studded boots on as I had a little paddy on top of the hill and just might have slipped otherwise.  Mum didn’t seem to appreciate the little bucks I put in for the sheer joy of it!  Or was it something to do with the horizontal sleet on my bum!  We finished the ride very wet and muddy but on a good heart rate at nearly 11kph.  All in all mum seemed quite pleased with me and my boots.

Thank you to Carol Henderson and Jahmel for their lovely story- an Easycare hoofpick is on its way to you!

Introducing Primrose Hill, Barefoot Ambassador!

My name is Primrose Hill, I was born on 28th April 2007 at Combe Farm Arabian stud in Devon but have reacently moved to my new home to take up the position of Trelawne Equine's barefoot ambassador! Trelawne Equine are the UK distributor for the Easycare range of hoofboots, and my job is to help them show the world how we horses can be healthier and have stronger feet without metal shoes. I live with 3 other horses, 2 of which were shod until a few years ago, but we are all barefoot here and live as natural a life in our little herd as possible. The UK is a pretty damp place, and Devon is more than most but that does not stop me and my friends having strong, beautiful hooves!

Being only 3 1/2, I am just starting to learn about life outside the stud I was born and raised on (check out my dad, Rumak who still lives there- he is very handsome!) and most of my outings will be around forestry tracks which are renowned for being stony. At the moment, I go for walks with my little Shetland friend and we just like to amble along the tracks but I will be needing some boots once I am carrying my rider around to help protect my feet. It is also a lot better for me to do my roadwork when I am older with boots and pads inside as the road is very unnatural and the pads will allow my bare hooves to function properly.

I rather like the look of the Easyboot Glove, and I have tried a fitkit which showed I will fit a size 00.5 nicely (I have very dainty feet!) but they may well change before I will be needing them next year so will have to wait for another fitting before I know for certain. Fit is everything with hoof boots, so if I need a different style I don't mind at all as all the Easyboot hoof boots are great. I must say I particularly like the look of the boots when they are on 'The Fury'....(swoon!)


I am very excited about my new life, and want to share it with you so please join me on Facebook and follow my blog 'Barefoot Beauty Queen' to keep up to date with all my adventures! I hope to be getting out to meet lots of my human friends next year, so be sure to look out for Trelawne Equine and Primrose Hill in the press and at horsey events in the UK!
 

Barefoot in Wales

This is a picture of Daisy Dancer my TBx mare.  I bought her in 2003 as a 3 year old and rode her barefoot from about 2 weeks later, on the recommendation of my farrier.  Unfortunately, my really good farrier moved area and we had a few years struggling along with a farrier that didn’t know what he was doing (other than preparing a foot for a shoe) and we tried a few spells with shoes, but I knew it wasn’t right and she didn’t go as flowing as I knew she did without shoes. Plus, horse shoes are very slippy on our steep concrete drive – I hear people asking if they slip barefoot - I can’t believe how opposite of the truth that is, or why they can’t work that out by just observing!

I eventually went on a KC LaPierre barefoot trimming course and became aware of all the things my original farrier knew from experience.  I now also trust my new farrier to shoe her occasionally (July and August),  as I monitor that the foot is balanced and that the heels are not left too high or start to underrun.  If they do, the shoes come straight off so that they can correct themselves.   We now also have an Equine Podiatrist in our area who trims whenever she has a problem (WLD, a stone abscess or shrinking frog usually) and because she has thin TB feet, we use boots whenever she is going to do more than her feet are up to.  She has had her old mac boots since about 2005 and uses them about once a month with a lot of those beach rides, so they are very worn but still well loved and have more years in them yet.   As you can see from her picture, my daughter now rides her more than me and is supersensitive to your weight (no kicking and pulling required).  She is a brave, trusting mare, who is bombproof and surefooted.  She can spot soft ground a mile off and only swerves to get on the grass – it’s something that you get used to with a barefoot horse and just let them find the best ground for them.

Janette, Gwynedd

A Thoroughbred with Flat, White Feet...

My thoroughbred - with flat, white feet and very tender soles - yes, not your usual suspect for barefootedness! - pulled a tendon and had to have 10 months off in the field. This was 6 years ago. One of my immediate concerns was, what do I do with his feet? I didn't really want him wearing shoes during his time off but had horrible images of his feet becoming chipped and cracked beyond repair if I didn't keep him shod.

My farrier advised me to take his shoes off and let his feet get on with it! So I took that advice and spent the next 10 months in trepidation. His feet however were fine!

He was then declared fit to go back into work, but by this time I had got very comfortable with no shoes and had begun to read up on barefoot riding on the Internet, so decided I would give it a go. I also really dreaded having nails knocked in his feet again - it seems such a backward step having spent so long letting his feet adjust to natural living.

After much research and measuring I got easyboot bare for his backs and oldMac G2 for his fronts - and off we went! His transitioning was well under way as he had been lead in from the field regularly down a gravelly road, so really we never looked back. There was a stage when I put comfort pads in his fronts - but I think that was more for me than him!

After two years like that, I ditched the back boots and moved onto Old Mac originals on the front as his feet seemed to have become more round as they adjusted.

I have tried to go without the front boots but I think that is a step too far for his tender, flat feet. I ride mainly on road and tracks too, so it is quite  challenge for his feet.

His feet are now hard and strong. He has no further problems with his tendon, nor the ringbone that developed during that phase. His boots stay on in all terrain and have never rubbed him - I do always use gaiters however.

All in all, I am a huge convert to barefoot, and hope that I never again have to have a nail driven into my horses' foot!

 

Sarah, Dumfriesshire.

Sally and Buffy's adventure in Epics!

Hello!

I'm back from my mini expedition so here's my hoofboot story...  This year myself and my friend Jean had decided to ride from her house in Keswick to stay with another friend in Buttermere and then ride back.  2 days riding in the English Lakes.
My horse Buffy is barefoot and for this ride I had chosen to put on her hoof boots as the going was on roads and stony tracks.  She wears Easyboot Epics as you can see in the picture.

We set off from Keswick on Saturday morning and after negotiating some tricky busy roads we were soon on the bridleway, heading along between Catbells and Derwent Water.  The going was gritty but not too stony and Buffy went really well.  After Grange we went on another bridleway towards Honister which was much more rocky (think of an uphill climb on a riverbed with no water and you've pretty much got it!) but Buffy was fine in her boots.  In fact she had much more traction than the other, shod horse who even though he had road nails in his hind shoes found it pretty hard going.

We negotiated wooden bridges and a very narrow gate at which I had to remove Buffy's panniers so she could fit through!  Perhaps I need to pack a little lighter next time?

We paused for lunch on a grassy bit and admired the view whilst eating lunch.  Then we continued on towards Honister Pass and the slate mine.  The climb up to the pass was on a road and was very steep (all the overtaking cars smelt of burning clutch) but the horses kept on plodding.  Then we got to the top and looked down and down, and down...  The roadsign said the decline was 25%!  Buffy never slipped once in her boots and we were soon at the bottom and heading along the shores of Buttermere.

After passing several groups of tourists (many commenting on Buffy's "walking boots") we reached the farm we were staying at for the night. The next day we set off at 9 am sharp for the climb up to the top of the next hill.  We returned to Keswick via Newlands Valley (this road has a climb of only 20% compared to yesterday it seemed easy!) and Jean and I swapped horses.  Buffy did the accent and decent without slipping again despite the shoddy tarmac.

We rode over wooded bridges and through farmyards as well as along tracks and more roads.  The Epics were great on the cobbles in the old mine yard too.

We got back to Keswick just in time for lunch which pleased Buffy no end.

We had a super time and the hoof boots performed brilliantly.  I'd really recommend them for this type of terrain.  They really can't be beaten on rocky or gritty tracks. In my opinion they out perform metal shoes when faced with this sort of going.  I'm definitely going to use them again when I do another expedition in the Lake District.

Sally

The Laminitic Pony

"My daughters pony has suffered from laminitis and is now well on the road to recovery but everytime the pony is trimmed by the blacksmith he takes so much off her feet she is practically walking on her soles…..  so I bought some Easyboot Epics to make her more comfortable and it did seem to make a difference…. Did ask the blacksmith to leave a little more wall on the hoof so that she is not so foot sore…. The blacksmith did not see the need for shoes as not enough work done and I didn’t really like the idea of her having nails driven into her hooves as well as the laminitus, she generally has a very good quality horn…."
Thank you to Izzy for this great story- it sounds like your farrier is pasture trimming as opposed to barefoot trimming from what you describe. The golden rule is a horse should always walk away from a trim (at least) as sound as he walks into it! I would ask him to have a look at www.barefoothorse.com, an excellent website dedicated to the art of barefoot trimming of all schools, he should have your pony walking away without soreness in no time!

Chris and Meg

Meg is the coloured cob in the front of this picture. We have all hacked across Dartmoor to the pub in the rain and her boots are still holding firm, as you can see.  She wears over-reach boots with her epics as she did sometimes pull them off as she is a very extravagant mover.  Her pal JV (Joint Venture) is behind her, also in her epics.  Meg does endurance and did her first 48km ride across Exmoor this August. Very rough terrain and very gooey. The vet commented on how good her feet were and was very impressed when she finished sound.  Hope that this story is good enough to get me a magnetic hoof pick!  

C

  

It certainly is, thank you Chris! 

Wendy, Tally and Morgan

After almost four years of my two horses being barefoot, one has coped very well, but the other, Tally Ho!, a New Forest mare, has really struggled. Last summer, at our wits end, partly because of the shape of her feet, and partly because her feet are quite small, and all the other boots were too clumsy for her, and really aggravated her, we had more or less decided to put her back in metal shoes, something I really didn't want to do, but because of lack of exercise due to her being footsore, she had put on weight, and was borderline E.M.S.(equine metabolic syndrome) My trimmer and I then discovered Easyboot Glove, and decided we would try them as a last resort. We ordered your fit kit, followed instructions, the boots arrived very promptly, and we've never looked back. It has taken a while to get her back into work, and we've had to take things slowly, but the 'Gloves' are brilliant, she loves them, and everyone, including my vet, is asking about them, and all the village schoolchildren talk about 'Talls Trainers!' So a huge thanks to Easyboot for helping me keep her 'metal-free', fit and healthy. She's 18, by the way! Don't you just love her dainty ankle straps!
Kind Regards
Wendy, Tally and Morgan.

Barefoot horse at HOYS and banning unshod horses in showing

This is a note I read today on the Horse Hoof Facebook page. I also know of at least one other horse going to HOYS barefoot and I am sure there are many more! I would encourage anyone who feels competitors should be allowed the choice how they keep their horses to take the time to drop them a line. Personally, I would like to think the judge is knowledgeable enough to assess if a horse is balanced enough in whatever footwear (or lack of) that there may be before he decides to ride as I have seen more shod horses than barefoot slip in my lifetime!

 

by The Horse's Hoof on Tuesday, 07 September 2010 at 01:23

From: antonio checa

This Irish Draught horse called Mac, property of Becky Chapman, over 18hh has qualified to go to HOYS 2010 (for the second time!). He is 7years old and has been barefoot all of his life. Not only has he been competing since he was 4 years old as a heavyweight show hunter but has either won or been well placed in lots of top competitions. If you want to find out about this magnificient horse then go to the following web link:http://www.hoys.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/08/31/from-hand-reared-to-hoys TheSports Horse Breeding of Great Britain now wants to ban unshod horses from the showring. This new rule only effects the riding class when the judges need to ride trhe horses.Their argument: it is not safe for the judges becuse the horse could slip and injure the judge! This does not make any sense because if this were truly the case then they would wear hard hats! Furthermore this new rule does not include the pony class where children ride their ponies. Does this mean that our children aren't important?

If you do not agree with this new ruling , then please write to them at the address below.  SPORT HORSE BREEDING OF GREAT BRITAIN96 HIGH STREET EDENBRIDGEKENTTN8 5ARTel:

Fax: 01732 867464If you know any other people who would support this campain, then please forward the address above to them.

Big thank you, in advance.A. Checa.    

email: office@sporthorsegb.co.uk

Easycare at Walt Disney World!

This is an entry into Easycare's blog about Kevins visit to 'The happiest place on earth' and it looks like for their horses, it soon will be! I have always been impressed with the standard of care of the animals at the parks that I have seen, and the horses are no exception with this bold yet commonsense move by Disney to take their horses barefoot. Their horses vary is size, breed and shape so it is a very good showcase how different types of working horse can all work very happily without shoes and also have all the benefit of life without the restriction of metal shoes.

"I had the good fortune last week to work with some of the people who manage the equine program at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.


Tri-Circle-D Ranch - one of the first buildings erected when Walt Disney World was originally opened.
About the Horses
There are currently 79 horses at two locations on the massive Walt Disney World campus. Both barns are near the Magic Kingdom location and there is a diverse mix of horses there who are split into two disctinct groups. One set is made up of the large draft horse breeds like Clydesdales and Belgians. They are used principally for pulling carriages around the Main Street area - always at a walk and mostly on blacktop roads.


Some of the staff at Tri-Circle-D Ranch talk about the transition strategy.
The other set is made up of trail horses, mostly of quarter horse descent, with the odd Arabian and warmblood mix thrown in for color or height variety. Their job is to keep the guests entertained on five or six 45-minute trail rides per day. A smaller group of ponies give trail rides around the former petting zoo, which now provides a set of spacious paddocks for the little guys.


This location is where the trail rides start from. The shade was very welcome.
The horses are all in exceptionally good weight and health and the facitilies are meticulously maintained by a cheery group. The public - called 'guests' - are free to wander around the facilities. I was very impressed by the willingness of the staff to answer questions and share their love for what they do.


Impressive, isn't it, to think about implementing change at such a large institution?
 EasyCare and Exclusivity
As you can probably imagine, I wasn't just there to see what it is like at the happiest place on earth. I was there because Tri-Circle-D Ranch is transitioning their horse teams over to a barefoot/booted program and EasyCare will be the exclusive boot provider for their program.


Discussing the journey ahead.
An Impressive Approach
I flew down to Orlando to coordinate a visit there during the two days their barefoot hoofcare practitioner was pulling shoes from some of the horses - and trimming others who are already weeks or months into their barefoot transition. They brought in their vet so we could talk about the relevance of diet in the transition process, and it also gave us a chance to study x-rays of some of the horses' feet so the trims could be modified accordingly.

Some of these draft horses are unbelievably tall - we put a stick to one guy and it was not even big enough to get an accurate measurement. That means he was probably 18h3. It was fascinating to see these big hooves get trimmed - and to get a first hand understanding of the challenges they face. It is a humid climate with soft, wet ground for most of the year, and the hooves are definitely soft-country feet. One of the contributors to success for Walt Disney World will be the amount of work each of their horses is responsible for, which means every horse has a job and every horse is on a strictly monitored work program. This will help speed the transition process.


One of several pastures around the facility.
Those are Some Big Feet
We selected Easyboot Epics for their draft carriage horses - they will be using a combination of size 6 and size 7 for those horses. The trail horses will be using Easyboot Gloves - with the exception of Minnie, a draft horse cross, who will be parading down the trail in her size 4 Easyboot Epics.

All eyes are on the transition project down in Orlando - if this initial phase goes well, Walt Disney World in California will be our next stop. Please join us in wishing the entire team in Orlando the very best of luck in this bold move forward."

Everyone Knows Thoroughbreds Can't go Barefoot...

Well thats what we are led to believe! The truth is, with the right trim, diet and excercise there is no reason why virtually any horse cannot enjoy the benefits of an iron free lifestyle. The biggest obstacle most horses have to going barefoot is the attitude of their owner. Barefoot (particularly in the beginning) can be tough if the horse has lees than ideal hooves to start with, but I'm sure you will agree the rewards of a healthier, happier longer lived horse are worth the little extra work in those first couple of months!

This is the story of Miss Bronte, sent to us by one of our dealers in the North. Angela has helped many horses to enjoy being shoe free, as well as trimming she can supply and fit any of the hoof boots in the Easycare range as well as advising on diet and management of the barefoot horse.

Miss Bronte’s story… so far…

Miss Bronte – Bronte to her friends – is a five year old thoroughbred mare. She has had a very typical thoroughbred life… so far. Raced as a two and three year old, she ran six times, her claim to fame being ridden a couple of times by leading lady jockey Hayley Turner. Bronte just wasn’t fast enough to race and after coming last in her final race she was ‘retired’. Retired meant being chucked in a field and forgotten about, until she ended up at the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre in spring 2010. She was under weight and lame when she arrived and was immediately shod. The TRC worked with her and got her into a good enough condition to put her up for adoption.

This is where Paula Smith comes into Bronte’s life. Paula has had horses for years and recently returned from living in Australia wanted a youngster to bring on and event, eventually. Being a friend of mine I had already convinced her of the benefits of going barefoot though it was not something she’d ever thought of doing with any of her previous horses. We had the very common discussion about thoroughbreds, especially ex-racehorses, not being suitable for barefoot because ‘thoroughbreds have bad feet’, but I convinced her to give it a try.

We gave Bronte a couple of days to settle in before removing her shoes. Underneath the shoes her feet were pretty typical of a horse shod too young – small, wider than longer, underun heels, poor horn quality. Shoes off, first trim done and then it’s that first walk across the yard. Paula’s yard surface is quite challenging in places for a newly barefoot horse, gravelly in parts. Bronte was tentative as she walked away but sound.

Paula is the perfect client – she does every thing I tell her to the letter. So Bronte got walked in hand round the roads in the village and her diet was adjusted to that of a barefoot horse, low sugar/starch, poor grazing. Paula built up the work slowly, never doing more than Bronte was comfortable with. Soon Paula was hacking out round the village – again just at walk and Bronte was sound at every step. We had a couple of slight backwards moments, when Bronte came slightly footy. Both these times coincided with her being in season – a very common thing we’ve been finding… mares going footy when in season. It’s almost certainly related to hormonal changes and a client of mine has found that supplementing with Agnus Castus powder has solved the problem.

Due to the shape of Bronte’s front feet – much wider than they are long – I fitted her with Old Mac Originals. In time the shape of Bronte’s feet will improve and we hope to get her into Easyboot Gloves. However for the time being and the stage of Bronte’s work the Old Mac Original’s work perfectly. Once fitted with these front boots Paula started hacking off road. Our local tracks are mostly very stony and pretty challenging for the transitioning barefoot horse. But with Old Macs in front and nothing behind Bronte has been exploring the countryside with ears pricked and a long stride.

Paula alternates riding out with and without the boots on at the front. When being schooled Bronte doesn’t wear boots. I have trimmed her three times now and the nail  holes are almost grown out. Her feet have improved hugely even in the short space of time I’ve been working with her. The Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre were dubious about taking her barefoot – convinced she would be dog lame without shoes. They were very impressed when they came to see her – and could hardly believe it as they saw her walk over the stones and gravel without shoes or boots.

Watching the mare being schooled or just powering round in the field is wonderful – she has a huge elevated trot and in time, with lots of schooling, will produce a pretty spectacular dressage test.

When she first arrived I was worried about her conformation. She had marked toe first landing when she first arrived and her pasterns, which are on the long side, were very low to the ground – not a good combination for long term soundness. Since the shoes have been removed and the feet have strengthened up her whole posture has altered. She now has a beautiful heel first landing. Her pasterns now sit at a more natural angle underneath her and no longer looks so prone to injury. This will only improve further as her feet develop. The great benefit of having barefeet is that the horse can grow exactly the foot it needs to suit it’s own conformation, unlike with shoes were the farrier will try to get the feet to conform to the text book ideal.  Shod hooves are almost always weak at the heel causing all sorts of injuries long term.

Bronte’s story shows what can be achieved with a thoroughbred ex-racehorse in the short space of time. Credit has to go to Bronte’s owner Paula. Simply removing the shoes is not enough. It is essential to get the diet right and to do the transitioning work. Together Bronte and Paula make the perfect partnership and hopefully will go far together. Without shoes of course!

Rockcrunchers Barefoot Trimming Services - AANHCP trained barefoot trimmer available for trimming and boot fitting covering Northern England and the Midlands. Contact info@rockcrunchers.co.uk or phone 07554 011634 www.rockcrunchers.co.uk

Result!

Here is a report from Karens weekend, Karen was using Easyboot glue ons and Easyboot gloves on Looey, and had a great time by the sound of it!
"We had a fab weekend up in North Yorkshire…here's the story…
We travelled up to North Yorkshire after work on Friday evening. On route we stopped in Thirsk for a chippy supper. It's amazing how you end up meeting people. I was stood waiting for Bond to come back to the Land Rover and this couple and their daughter, who were from Norway on holiday came over for a chat. They were laughing because they have horses themselves and said that while travelling through Yorkshire they hadn't seen 1 horse, only sheep and cows!! When they saw our trailer they came over to have a chat to some fellow horsey people - obviously getting withdrawal symptoms ;-). They then spotted Bond's sign writing on his Landover - Pennine Barefoot - and asked what we were doing with the horse. I told them we were on our way to an Endurance Event. It turns out that they use Easy Boots on their horse too!! They had tried Boa's but thought the EasyBoots were way better - what a small world. We gave them directions to the event and they said they might try and pop over to have a look at hat was going on at some point over the weekend.
By the time we got to the venue it was going dark and had started raining. We quickly set up a corral for Loo and had a bit of a blether to a guy from Ambleside who was crewing for his wife the following day in our class. The rain didn't stop all night - I woke at about 5.30am since we were sleeping in the trailer and the rain was pelting it big time. I lay there for the next 2 hours praying for it to stop - it didn't. Our vetting was carried out in a torrential down pour - the forecast said it would be sunny with a few scattered showers! However, by the time we'd tacked up and I'd got on board, the sun came out and it stayed like that for the rest of the day. The farrier who checks all the horses shoes/hooves/boots before starting was convinced the glue-ons would get "sucked off" in all the Yorkshire clay - so off we went to prove him wrong.

Looey was in top form - I'd been warned about a potential "Nike Effect" with the glue-ons from some fellow Endurance Riders who have just started to try them on their horse. Yep, Loo was pinging along with a spring in his step. The endurance rides in North Yorkshire are never a doddle - plenty of hills and varied going of bridleways, farm tracks, field edges, forestry, moorland and a wee bit of roadwork. The views are stunning - I managed to appreciate them on the 2nd 42km loop when Looey had chilled out a bit! The class we had entered was the Drover's Dash 85km ride. It wasn't a endurance race but the class was going to be judged based on the "performance formula" where points are awarded using a calculation based on final resting HR and average speed. This makes it a bit more interesting - being  a wee bit competitive, it means that I was trying to keep our speed up but not take too many risks incase he tweaked himself. The going on the first 42km loop was very slippy - this part of Yorkshire hadn't seen as much rain as we had in Lancashire - the ground was still quite hard, but with all the overnight rain, it had made the surface very slick. It did make riding a more difficult. The worst bit was the last section which had a lot of red clay - it was like a skating rink - I had to ride very tactically and choose the bits with the best traction - Looey nearly lost all 4 feet on a couple of occasions and I nearly went out the side door! We rode the first 42km all on our on - we caught sight of a couple of riders just in front but never caught up with them.

After the first 42km loop we had to go through a vetgate - I wanted to get Looey's HR under 64 ASAP since this is a good way of making up time - the clock keeps ticking until you vet. We untacked him, threw a load of water on him to cool him down and I took his HR which was 60. So we presented to the vet in 4 minutes. We had a break of 30 minutes in which Loo munched on his oats and sugar beet and then we were back out on the same 42km loop. We had caught up to riders who'd been just within view in front of me since Looey had vetted so quickly. We ended up riding along together for the rest of the ride, taking it in turns to lead when the horse in front had switched off. The ground had dried out a lot since the morning which made life a bit easier. When we got back to the venue, we had a 30 minute wait until we had to go to the vetting. . Looey looked fine, so we let him drink and eat and kept walking him round periodically to prevent any stiffness setting in. I also massaged his hamstrings since there were plenty of hills, so he had worked hard. The vetting was a nerve-wrecking experience. The 2 riders I'd ridden with vetted first. 3 vets were watching the horses trot up and they each wrote on a piece of paper whether the horse was lame or not, this was then handed to the Technical Steward who told the rider whether the majority thought their horse was sound - a 3 card trick!! The 2 horses were considered to be lame! It was Loo's turn - his heart rate was under 64, so that's a pass - next was the trot up and then the stomach churning wait for the verdict - it was a unanimous decision - he'd PASSED!! Phew….!!!

So, then we had to await the results of the Performance Formula at the prize-giving. We'd come 3rd out of 7 starters - icing on the cake…the class was sponsored by Bailey's, so we received a feed voucher as well as our rosettes. I was really impressed with Looey on this ride. He answered all the questions I asked of him and completed at a speed of 13.8kph which is pretty good for a challenging ride like this. He's still a young endurance horse and has lots of developing to do yet but he improves on each ride. The glue-ons stayed on and got lots of attention from fellow competitors - including those who shoe their horses. Interestingly, the farrier was seen out on course on a number of occasions, nailing shoes on horses who'd lost them in the sticky, slippy going.
The ride itself was extremely well organised. Heidi Lewis had lots of volunteers opening gates and manning check points. The landowners had gone out of their way to move stock for the weekend, so that gates could be left open and there were lots of them!
And finally, a big "Thank-you" to Trelawne Equine - your advice and sponsorship are really helping to make it happen for us this year!"

Thank you from Trelawne Equine for being such a great ambassador for Barefoot horses and hoof boots

Bertram in his Epics!

Bertram from Denmark is a very happy pony in his epics! His 'mum' wrote to us to say " The little boy walked much better and was almost silly-happy!" when he was fitted with his little pony size 000 Easyboot Epic hoof boots and 12mm comfort pads. Bertram, being so small is between a size pony and 000, but we ended up booting him in a 000 with a pony size cable and 12mm hard pads to ensure the boots stayed on tight and the hoof was in the correct place for a natural breakover. Easyboot Epics are one of the few hoof boots that cater for very small ponies, our own Shetland who is only 7h1 also wears the 000, so there are very few small ponies that cannot be booted! The Easyboot hoof boots with comfort pads in are ideal for ponies suffering from or prone to laminitis as they pads will help to support the internal structures and promote circulation. Shoeing a laminitic horse decreases the blood flow and increases concussion leading to far worse attacks and long term repercussions.

Tevis Through the Eyes of a Sales Guy

The paragraph at the bottom of this post on Easycare's blog pretty much sums up the way we at Trelawne Equine feels about Easycare. We started this company out of our belief that barefoot was the best thing we can do for ours horses, and after a number of years of using and selling a variety of hoof boots, that the Easycare range are the best possible products to help you achieve this. Easycare are totally unique in their knowledge, passion and experience in the field- I don't think any other manufacturer of hoof boots in the world can even begin to claim the same amount of research and sheer hard work has gone into their product! You only have to look at the vast range of boots available from them and see the long list of things people have achieved in Easycare boots to see how different and pioneering this company is.

"This was my second Tevis as a crew member for the Easyboot riders. This year was much easier for me because I knew the area and that is was going to get hot during the day. I also had a better sense of what I should expect from our human/horse teams. Last year there was the fear of the unknown: it was our first Tevis glue-on attempt. 2010 was very different for a number of reasons: there was even more on the line this year. In 2009 Easyboots performed almost flawlessly, so in 2010 not only did we want to repeat our 2009 performance, we wanted build on it

This year Garrett and the EasyCare team booted almost twice as many horses as last year. Because of the way Gloves and Glue ons performed over the past two years it was not a surprise that more people wanted these high performance boots on their horses. Tevis is a grueling 100 mile trek over some of the most rugged terrain in the Sierras and your choice of protection can make or break your experience.

2010 exceeded our expectations. EasyCare had six horses complete in the top 20 and a 59% completion rate vs. only 51% for horses with other forms of hoof care. If those statistics were not impressive enough, Garrett and Lisa moved from 16th and 17th place to 8th and 9th in the last six miles. To top it all off Garrett and The Fury won the Haggin Cup, an award for the horse that is judged to be in the best physical condition the day after the event. The Haggin Cup is viewed by many as the most prestigious award in the endurance world.

I have been with EasyCare for almost four years: it is a great company with amazing support team. I have never in my short lifetime been as proud to be part of something in my professional life. Easycare and are hoof boots are making a difference, we are changing the way people view hoof care. We are creating better lives for horses and offering solutions where  there used to be none. It feels good to be involved with company that is effecting change and making a difference. It was a proud day not only for EasyCare, but also for barefoot horses."

Increase the Longevity of Your Boa Laces

The Boa Horse Boot is a popular choice for Hoof Boot customers in the UK as it is a very quick and easy boot to use. This versatile protective horse boot is easy to install and remove. Keeping your protective horse boots clean will help increase their longevity. Here are some helpful tips to add life to accessories such as Boa Laces:

• Keep them as clean as possible.
• Wipe away any excess dirt or mud from the Boa Laces after each ride.
• If the lace hesitates when tightening the Boa Dial add a little water to loose it up.
• After riding in sand or loose dirt take a small air hose (or even an air-filled keyboard cleaner) and clean them thoroughly.

Of course you always want to make sure the cap is installed properly on your hoof boots. Click here for instructions on making sure you've installed your Boa Cap correctly. Remember you can damage the dial closure system if you don't use your Boa Cap.

Easycare Users in the UK- Old Macs for Harley!

Lucy Bruckner from our home county Devon wmailed Easycare to explain why she loves the Old Mac G2 hoof boots. The Old Mac G2 is such a versatile hoof boot, and one of the most popular in the UK as it fits a variety of hoof shapes from round to the very long narrow hoof (when used with Old Mac's inserts) often seen in navicuar or lamanitic horses and ponies.

I've owned my cob since he was 5 years old, and he's just turned 18 this summer. He was traditionally shod for many years, until my second knee operation in October 2008 caused me to have the shoes off, and I turned him out for a few months. I recovered much more quickly than expected, and started to ride Harley barefoot, on short hacks of up to 30 minutes on our tarmac roads and stoney tracks, and he coped, but was a bit stumbley, and I had his front shoes back on - but Harley had other ideas! Climbing the stock fencing to eat off the tops of the banks meant that his feet would inevitably slide through, and he would pull back, ripping the shoe off and a little more horn each time. I was so fed up, in the winter I was only managing to ride once a week due to the dark evenings and pressure of work, and the horse had always pulled a shoe off!
I'd considered hoof boots, but didn't know where to start. I own a feed merchants and small tack shop, and so took to asking customers of their experiences, some were good, some bad, but one offered me the loan of her Old Mac G2's size 9. I took these clumpy great big boots home, and tried to fit them, of course without reading the instructions first - my long suffering horse spent a lot of time on three legs whilst I fitted the gaiters first, then tried to push the boots over the top! Once I had the fitting sorted, we were away, they were fab! I was concerned that they would rub, but have never had a problem. Harley still had one shod foot at that time, so I rode a fair bit to trial the boots before telling my farrier that we were going barefoot - thereby saving myself about £40 every six weeks, the difference between shoeing and barefoot trimming.  Since having the boots, we haven't looked back. We love hacking, generally for just an hour or so at a time, but last summer I booted up at about 8am, trailered my horse to the centre of Dartmoor, and completed the Dartmoor Challenge, about a four hour ride over stoney and boggy tracks, the boots were fantastic, and raised a lot of interest - small children often point and comment on my horse wearing wellies or trainers. An extra bonus which I hadn't considered was how sure footed my horse is on slippery tarmac roads. Riding with a friend recently, she was having to dismount and lead her horse, his feet were slipping badly and he was in danger of going down on the road, but of course in boots my horse was absolutely fine.

My first pic shows Harleys broken knees, from slipping and falling down on the tarmac road about five years ago - luckily he made a complete recovery.

The second was taken on a hack after galloping through woodland, bare behind, one Old Mac G2 and one shod hoof, this was the transitional period when I decided to go to boots fulltime.

The final pic was taken on the Dartmoor challenge last summer, boots in front, bare behind.

Pasture Trim or Barefoot Trim?

This is an excellent post taken from Easycare's blog. A lot of people think that a hoof can only be trimmed in one way, if you have ever wondered about the differences in trimming here is some great info from Nature's Hoof- Barefoot and Balanced.

Bare Hoof Care
Once our equine friends biological need for movement 24/7 is restricted, the effects on the hoof quality and shape become apparent as they both deteriorate due to:
   • Lack of movement and exposure to appropriate terrain that would stimulate hoof growth and development, and natural wear .
   • Exposure to ammonia which forms with the decay of plant material and animal waste i.e. stable bedding, manure, excess muddy conditions, etc.
   • Incorrect trimming and shoeing.
   • Neglect - in most domestic situations, we MUST provide REGULARLY scheduled hoof care every 4-8 weeks

What is the difference between a farrier "pasture" trim and a "barefoot" trim?
Typically, a farrier/pasture trim is one that shortens the hoof as part of hoof maintenance when conditions did not provide for adequate wear of the horn (hoof wall). Hoof horn is growing continuously, just like our fingernails. If the hoof is healthy, the wall will grow at the rate of approximately 1/4" per month. If the horse lives in an environment where the hoof wall is not abraded/worn, the hooves will become pathologically deformed as they grow too long. Therefore - and in most domestic situations, we must provide the horse with regular hoof care to "mimic natural wear".

A healthy hoof in its natural environment does not just shorten itself. It sculpts itself to its physiologically correct and functional form. There is nothing flat in a healthy hoof. The physiologically correct form and the functions that go with it, have been studied by those who saw problems with conventional hoof care which comes from a mind set that originates from the desire to protect the hoof wall from wear, and suspend the sole and frog above the ground, by attaching a flat piece of metal to it; the horseshoe.
The preparation of a hoof for a shoe requires a certain trimming technique. This rasping technique will produce what is called "the solar plane". It will shorten the toe area with every swipe, reducing the concavity and thinning the sole beneath the tip of the coffin bone, while also flattening the heel and quarters onto a flat plane with the toe.
   • The heels are generally left long; encouraging contraction, toe-first landing, and "navicular" pain.
   • The toe callus is trimmed away; a thin sole doesn't protect the foot.
   •The bottom of the wall is left flat, as if preparing for a shoe. This encourages flaring in the bare hoof. Flares are painful, like pulling really hard on your fingernail.
   •Farriers often ignore flares, leaving a stretched white line and poor coffin bone suspension, thus the horse is "sore on gravel" and on rocky trails.

     
Natural Bare Hoof

A "physiologically correct" bare hoof trim is created almost like a "piece of art". It has "flow" and "balance" and most of all, function. Its model is a healthy self trimming hoof as we would find it in the wild. Even though the pasture trim may look similar at first, the trimming techniques are quite different - and will take the bare hoof trimmer longer than it would take a standard farrier trim. Every feature of the hoof has a purpose which requires the trimming techniques to be different. Bare hoof trimmers have been schooled to specifically recognize and enhance these structures so the hoof can function optimally.
A healthy hoof provides comfort for mobility - no lameness, appropriate traction, surefootedness, correct breakover and balance. It provides function - hoof mechanism for proper circulatory and metabolic function, protection of sensitive internal structures and shock absorption (60-80% of concussion is absorbed by the hoof suspension mechanism). If this function is impaired by a brace (shoe), concussion will have to be absorbed elsewhere in the equine body - joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments will be stressed, causing problems like calcifications, arthritis, avoidable "wear and tear". A near ground parallel coffin bone, properly suspended within the hoof capsule is required for balanced weight distribution for skeletal and soft tissue health. A healthy foal is born with the "blueprint" of hooves that will fulfill all of these qualities.

Once you get your barefoot trim, that is the time to incorporate the use of hoof boots to aid in the transition and help protect your equine partner while out on your rides. Right after the trim do your measurements, order your EasyCare hoof boots and then go out and enjoy your barefoot partner. You can be very proud that you are taking the natural approach to lifelong hoof health.

Jenny Edwards at www.all-natural-horse-care.com has some really great barefoot and natural hoof care information. There are pictures and diagrams to help you with knowing all the different parts of a hoof. Knowing about your horses hooves and how they should look (which is usually very different to the hooves we are used to seeing shod!) is very important for any horse owner, as the horses hooves are your responsibility. As with anything, just becasue you are paying someone for a professional service does not mean you should not question it if you are unsure or unhappy about their work. The more you know about your horses hooves, the better you will be able to help your horse and your farrier or trimmer by understanding what they tell you about maintainence or special treatments you need to do between professional trims. Once of the wonderful (and scary at first!) things about taking your horse barefoot is the sense of responsibility you feel for your horses hooves. In reality this shoudl be felt by every horse owner, but we tend to be brough up around horses accepting that a 'farrier looks after the hooves' yet how can someone who is only paid to visit once evrery 6 weeks really be held responsible if the hoof deteriorates (unless it is due to the shoeing method of course!)? Bare hooves allow you to see exactly what is happening to the hoof, no shoe to cover up white line disease or grit in the white line for example. Well kept bare hooves are not only a joy to look at, but very low mainainence, no worries about wet and dry hooves cracking around nail holes, lost shoes or lameness due to thrush or white line issues so a little knowledge is a valuable thing!


Barefoot HoofBelow are some barefoot hoof diagrams to give you an idea of what the shape of the "ideal" hoof should look like. The parts of the hoof are labeled for reference.
Note: Healthy hooves can vary depending on the environment the horse is living in and the terrain they regularly encounter.

Sole View of a Front Hoof

Note the following points

• Wide, fat frog.
• Tight white line.
• Strong, thick hoof walls - with the inner wall being thicker.
• Bars end approximately halfway down the frog.
• The heel buttresses are back towards the rear of the frog.
• The hoof ratio is 65:35 (from the rear of the hoof to the widest point; and from the widest point to the break over).

Sole View of Rear Hoof

The rear hoof is more oblong in shape and has a slightly pointed toe compared to the front hoof. This is because the rear hooves are used to propel the horse forward and so the point helps the hoof dig into the ground to provide more push.

Side View of the Hoof

Weightbearing - The True Role of the Wall And SoleContrary to popular belief, the hoof wall should not be the only structure to bear the weight of the horse. This is called peripheral loading and it puts way too much stress on the laminar connection and has a dramatic effect on the blood supply to the hoof. Dr Robert Bowker VMD, PhD recently did research on this and found that on a:

• Correctly trimmed Bare foot: blood flow continues between heartbeats
• Shod foot: blood stops between heartbeats and blood does not reach small blood vessels.
• Laminitic foot: blood stops and backs up between heartbeats

The diagrams below show how the hoof should be trimmed (images on right hand side of box) so that both the wall and the sole bear weight.



 
The use of EasyCare Comfort Pads in your EasyCare boots will ensure that the hooves are not being peripheral loaded. Easycare hoof pads come in three densities...soft (green), medium (black) and firm (red). The thicknesses are 12mm (1/2") or 6mm (1/4"). The Easyboot Glove boots will only accomodate the 6mm pads so the close fit is not compromised. Medium is the usual density recommended, soft are good for sore horses and hard for hooves that need lifting in the boots.

Boa Hoof Boot Tip #2

Have you ever come back from a ride to find you have lost a cap to your Boa Hoof Boot? Sometimes it's tough to determine if the Boa cap is tight enough. Of course if it's not tight enough, it can come off leaving the Boa Dial exposed. Here are some helpful tips to ensure successful installation of this protective cap.

Begin with the cap showing the "BOA" lettering vertical.  This is actually the only way the cap will go on correctly.

  
Next twist the cap clockwise.  Then you will hear a series of clicks. The cap will be in the tightest position when the "BOA" lettering is horizontal.

BOA
Follow these instructions to help prevent losing a cap to your protective horse boot. However, if you do happen to lose or or misplace this handy protective cap you can always contact Trelawne Equine for details of a local stockist who can supply you with a spare.

Karen and Looey Triumph in Gloves at Wirral

Karen Corr and Bond Hardman are Trelawne Equines sponsored riders for 2010, and have had a less than ideal start to their competitive year! With so much bad weather preventing fittening work, followed by both horse and rider injury things have been tough for the team. Looeys feet have been changing shape over the past few months, and Karen initially had problems with the gaiters on the gloves being too large and causing rubbing. With the better weather, gradually fittening horse and rider and the new glove gaiter Karen was pleased to report a fantastic ride at Wirral last weekend.

Karen writes "We used the smaller boots with power straps. I hardly ever looked down to check they were still there since I was confident we'd got the fit right. The new gaiters which were on his hind feet, worked well too. I rode with some one who used to ride barefoot but didn't succeed - this was pre-glove days. However she was really interested in how we were getting on and rode with me for a lot of the 2nd loop, think she'll try again after this season's over."

Karens experience shows how it is so important to achieve a correct fit, and that often going down 1/2 a size in a glove will give a really secure fit.

A Healthy Hoof

Here is a great post from Easycare's blog taken from an article found on hoofcare practitioner Maria Siebrand's website The Thoughtful Horseman. It gives a full understanding of the importance of conditioning our horses feet along with natural hoof care and why it is not always as straighforward as we would like it to be.
I am always searching for analogies to help owners understand the barefoot transition: why it sometimes takes months, why the horse that was “sound” in shoes is tender-footed without them, why shoeing is so entrenched in our equine management. I’ve often compared conditioning the newly bare hoof to strength training or endurance training: you don’t simply wake up one day, walk into a gym for the first time in your life, and bench press 300 lbs. You build your muscles, or your stamina, over time, asking a little more of your body gradually, until you are strong enough. Same with the horse’s hoof: conditioning the hoof to the type of terrain the horse will be working on, and the type of work the horse will be expected to do, is the only way to develop a healthy hoof capable of performing the job required of it.
Why, then, do horseshoes allow horses to perform the same work without conditioning the foot? And why is it a bad thing? Most of the time, the hoof simply is not given a chance to acclimate to the work before a shoe is nailed on. Two year olds about to go into training are routinely shod before they begin work. It’s just the way it has been done for hundreds of years. It stands to reason that, if the colt were left barefoot and then began training, his feet would have the opportunity to develop along with his muscles and endurance. This is, of course, an oversimplification, because the colt’s stabling environment and diet, and the quality of the barefoot trimming he receives, not only during his training, but up until that time, play a critical role. Just for the sake of argument, suppose that those things were as they should be. We could finally reverse the shoeing trend; we could raise horses with truly healthy, sound feet; and we could reduce the incidence of navicular problems, reported to occur in up to 86% of shod horses, dramatically.
Once the horse is shod, the hoof is quite literally prevented from developing at all. In fact, it immediately begins to become weaker. Vital structures are lifted out of an active role, and like an unused muscle, lose strength. It’s akin to wearing a brace or a splint (although the damaging effects of the nailed on shoe actually cause pathologies, as well); while a splint supports a weakness, the weakness will only become more pronounced if the splint is used continually. Physical therapy - using the limb without the splint - is the only way to strengthen the limb. Physical therapy can be uncomfortable - even painful - but it is the only way to regain use of a weakened or injured limb. The same is true for rehabilitating a hoof that has been shod for any period of time.
Would you take any other "shortcut" in preparing your horse physically for the demands of the job you have in mind for him, if you knew that the ultimate result of the shortcut would completely rob him of the very strength you wanted him to have? Isn't it worth the time it takes to build a really, truly healthy hoof, instead of a hoof that works for now?

Barefoot Success- You Hold the Keys!

This is a very though provoking passage from Linda Cowles, a very experienced practitioner in Santa Rosa, CA.
Take heart hoof care practitioners and listen closely horse owners. Your trimmer doesn't ultimately hold the keys to barefoot success, you do!

Who really heals these horse's feet? Their owners. Horses owners are horses' most powerful ally.
I started out trimming brood mares and peoples neglected backyard horses, and learned the hard way that I can only save these horses with their owner’s assistance. When struggling in muddy paddocks trying to trim feet that had last been trimmed 6 months ago, or trying to devise a bandage that would stay on an abscessed foot when the horse's pasterns were buried in mud, I realized that. I needed to focus on horses I could help.
I can help most of these horses, but I can't change the owners. I now let them know what they need to do to help their horse, and let them know that, if they work to heal their horse, I'll work hard next to them. If they can't do their part, I give them a few names of folks who may be willing to work with them. It’s a heart breaker.
Pete Ramey consoled me once that I'd made the right decision about not working with the owner of a horse that was fed to obesity, had laminitis and chronic thrush. "When the vet looks at that foot and asks who the hoof care provider is, do you want your name associated with it? Is there anything you can do to change the owner?"
Tough. I leave the door open, tell them that if they decide to try working with me, I would love to work with them, but ask them, please, not too wait too long because the effects of severe laminitis are NOT reversible.  This is their horse’s life, and no, they don't get a Do-Over if they realize they were wrong. Loving owners heal their horses using the care & management they provide, plus the assistance of people like me.
Linda Cowels

I think this highlights the true commitment that needs to go with taking your horse barefoot, and like everything with horses the buck stops with the owner of the horse. Hoof care professionals are an integral part of any hoof care regime, but that is only half the story and the owner needs to work closely with them to ensure the horses diet and lifestyle are correct too. Just like our own bodies, it is important to keep them fit and healthy and eat the right foods in order to stay fit and healthy- think how you nails become brittle or ridged when you have a bad diet, a horses hoof reacts the same to too much protein and sugar. A strong hoof capsule is paramount for the soundness of any horse shod or unshod, and the better the hoof quality the better job the hoof care professional can do! Hoof boots like the Easyboot RX are ideal to help a sore or transitioning horse through a rough period, and the Easyboot Glove will help to keep your horses hooves in top condition even on the toughest, flint ridden tracks. Bare is best, but in the UK with our wet soggy ground hoof boots are often needed to allow our horses to work freely across the potentially flinty and rocky terrain we encounter when out riding.